Drawworks



Oct- 14, 1941- J. S. MORGAN. JR 2,253,785

DRAWWORKS Original Filed D80. 21, 1935 Patented Oct. 14, 1941 DRAWWORKS John S. Morgan, Jr., Manhattan Beach, Calif., assignor to The National Supply Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Original application December 21, 1935, Serial No.

1939, Serial No. 270,797

55,591. Dividedand this application April 29,

3 Claims.

This invention relates to drilling equipment as utilized in drilling for water, oil, gas, or other drilling operations, and more particularly to the type of rotary drawworks employed in connection with the rotary method of drilling wells.

This application is a division of my copending application, filed December 21, 1935, for Drawworks, now Patent No. 2,161,075.

The particular object of this invention is to provide a rotary drilling apparatus wherein means are provided in the'drawworks construction constituting a feed control utilizing a variable speed transmission to enable the accurate governing of the rate of feed of the drill pipe into the drilled hole during drilling operations.

Another object of this invention is to provide 7 a drive mechanism for a well drilling apparatus wherein variable means arevprovided for governing the rate of feed of the drill pipe within the drilled hole, which means include an hydraulic transmission.

Another object of this invention is to provide a rotary drilling apparatus which includes a drawworks and a rotary machine wherein there is provided a means for driving the rotary machine from the drawworks and in which apparatus there is provided a means including a variable displacement fluid pump operatively connected with a fluid motor to control the speed of lowering of the drill pipe into the well embodying a means to selectively vary the displacement of the fluid pump under control of the driller whereby an accurate and sensitive control of the rate of lowering the drill pipe into the hole may be had.

Other objects and advantages of this invention it is believed will be apparent from the hereinafter contained description of the preferred embodiments of my invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view showing the drawworks embodying my invention illustrated in connection with an improved drilling control.

Figure 2 is a partly sectioned view of the rotary drawworks drive shaft as illustrated in Figure 1.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, the drumshaft lb, driveshaft 2b, and catshaft 3b are rotatably mounted in spaced supports 4b. A

spooling drum 5b provided with brake rims 6b is secured upon the drumshaft lb intermediate the supports 4b. Means are provided for driving the drumshaft lb from the driveshaft 2b, and this means includes sprockets l5b, 9b, llb and l3b rotatably mounted on the driveshaft 2b and aligned respectively and connected by chain with sprockets Mb, 8b, lllb and l2b rotatably mounted on the drumshaft lb. A prime mover .1!) is adapted to rotate drive sprocket b which is formed integrally with sprocket l5b. A clutch 22b is adapted to releasably connect sprocket 80b and l5b to the drive shaft 21). Similarly,clutch lllb is adapted to releasably connect sprockets 9b and llb, which are formed as an integral member, to the drive shaft 2b, and clutch l9b is adapted to connect sprocket l3b and its integral sleeve l6b to the driveshaft 2b. In like manner, clutch 2lb is adapted to releasably connect sprocket llb to the drumshaft lb, clutch 20b is adapted to releasably connect sprocket. l 2b to the drumshaft lb, and clutch l'lb is adapted tovconnect sprockets 8b and lb, which are formed as an integral member, to the drumshaft lb.

Selective operation of the various clutches provides five speeds for the drumshaft lb as follows: (1) Through sprockets l5b and Nb, (2) through sprockets 9b and lib, (3) through sprockets Ill) and lllb, (4) through sprockets l3b and l2b, and (5) by means of the compound drive through sprockets l3b to l2b, then back through sprockets lllb to llb, and finally forward through sprockets 9b to 8b.

Selective means are provided for driving the catshaft 3b from the drive shaft 2b including sprocket 21b fixed on the catshaft 3b aligned and connected by chain with sprocket 25b rotatably mounted on the drive shaft 212. A clutch 26b is adapted to releasably connect the sprocket 25b to the drive shaft ID.

A rotary drive sprocket 29b is rotatably mounted on the drive shaft 2band is adapted to be releasably connected thereto by means of clutch 30b. The sprocket 29b is connected to drive the sprocket 23b of the rotary machine 91b through the intermediate double sprocket member 3lb, the sprockets 29b and 32b, and the sprockets 33b and 23b being respectively connected by chain. V

With this construction there is incorporated in the drawworks a feeding control which employs a variable speed hydraulic transmission for accurately governing the rate of feed of the drill pipe in the hole during the drilling operations. The feed control includes one or more speed reduction units lllllb which are driven by suitable transmission connections from sprocket 88b, which is rotatably mounted on the sleeve llib and gesleasably clutched thereto by means of clutch The speed reduction unit lllllb is connected to a worm gear reduction unit lllb. The worm gear reduction unit lllb is connected through its common shaft llib with the motorend lllb of the Waterbury gear drive. A fluid pump 'lllbof the Waterbury gear drive is connected by transmission connection lllb with the sprocket lflb journaled on the shaft 2b.

A clutch ll1b is provided for releasably clutching the sprocket lOlb to the shaft 21). The motor unit llllb of the Waterbury gear is connected through suitable conduits llllb with the pump unit lllb.

As is customarily provided in such hydraulic gear drives of the Waterbury pump type, a control screw llltb is provided upon the pump end to vary the rate of discharge of oil to the motor end. The motor end is essentially a constant stroke motor and its speed is accurately governed by the rate of flow of. oil delivered to it. Therefore, the setting of the control screw lltb governs the speed of the shaft "2b assuming that the shaft 2b rotates at a constant speed.

means Shaft l02b drives through the worm sear reduction unit lOlb and spur gear reduction unit llIb to the sprocket "b. This sprocket 98b is connected to sprocket llb by means of clutch 80b. From the sprocket llb 0n the drive-shaft 2b the drive may go directly to the drumshaft lb through sprocket lIb and clutch 20b, or indirectly to the drumshaft lb through sprockets llb and lib, back through sprockets lllb and I I5, then from sprocket 9b to sprocket 8b and then to the drumshait lb through clutch llb. It should be observed that sprockets 8b and llb, and sprocke Ito and lib are each formed integral.

With clutches lfllb, 09b, and Nb engaged, rotation of the drive shaft 2b results in'verysiow rotation of the drum 5b. This rate of drumrotation may be increased or decreased in either forward or reverse simply by manipulating the control screw llltb. In this way the drill pipe may be slowly raised or lowered or held at the same elevation, and its movement is under very accurate control. Furthermore, for any given setting of the control screw l09b, the rate of feed of the drill pipe is proportional to its speed of rotation, since the rotary machine 91b and the pump end llllb of the hydraulic gear are both driven from the drive shaft 2b.

During this operation it is possible to use the reduction available in the drawworks itself because the sprockets 8b, l lb and llb and the clutch 99b float on the drive shaft 2b and are not affected by its rotation .which is necessary to drive the rotary machine 91b. It will be obvious that the drilling control thus provided can be easily disconnected at will from the drilling apparatus simply by disengaging the clutches lt'lb and 99b and when thus disconnected the drawworks can be operated in the conventional manner.

The feed control thus described may be utilized as a transmission connection through which the drum of the drawworks may be rotated in a direction to raise or lower the tool suspended from theline wounduponthedrum. or maybeutilized to hold the same in position.

In this form of construction when desired the full power of the transmission drive to the drawworks or the rotary machine-may be had without driving through the feed control.

Having fully described my invention. it is to beunderstood thatIdo not wishtobelimitedto the details herein set forth, but my invention is of the full scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a rotary drilling rig, the combination of a drawworka having a drumshaft and a driveshaft, a spooling drum on the drumshaft, a sleeve member rotatably mounted on the drive shaft. a fluid motor, means including a variable displacement fluid pump driven by the drive shaft to actuate said fluid motor. transmission connections between the sleeve member and the spooling drum and between the fluid motor and the sleeve member whereby the fluid motor may control the speed of rotation of the spooling drum, and means to selectively vary the displacement of the fluid pump to effect variations in the speed of said fluid motor.

2. In a rotary drilling rig, the combination of a drawworks having a drumshaft and a driveshaft, a spooling drum on the drum shaft, speed reduction means whereby the drive shaft may drive said drum, said speed reduction means including a sleeve element rotatably mounted on said drive shaft and a releasable clutch adapted to couple the sleeve and drive shaft in direct driving relation, variable speed power transmission apparatus releasably connected to drive the sleeve element of said speed reduction means upon said releasable clutch means being rendered inoperative, and manual control means for said variable speed power transmission apparatus whereby the speed of rotation of the sleeve element may be accurately regulated.

3. In a rotary drilling rig, the combination of a drawworks having a drumshaft and a driveshaft, a spooling drum on the drum shaft, means whereby the driveshaft may drive the spooling drum, said means including a power transmissionmember rotatably mounted with respect to the driveshaft and operatively connected to drive the drum through speed reduction transmission connections. a worm gear speed reduction unit hav-' ing a worm and a worm wheel, speed reduction means operatively connecting said worm wheel to said power transmission member, the worm acting to prevent rotation of the worm wheel under influence of an applied load on said spooling drum, an inflniteiy variable speed transmission driven from the driveshaft and operatively connected to drive said worm. and manual control means for said transmission adapted to cause rotation of the spooling drum at any desired feeding rate in either forward or reverse direction. JOHN S. MORGAN, Ja. 

